


and i'm on the bleachers

by starlightdaydreams



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Cheerleader AU, Cute and pure, F/F, Fluff, Marching Band AU, Rivals to Lovers, an attempt at humor, minimal angst, they're so awkward
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21538252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightdaydreams/pseuds/starlightdaydreams
Summary: Glimmer is excited to start the new cheer season as co-captain of the team.....except she has to work with her rival, Catra! As the two captains try to survive a season working with each other, will their rivalry and annoyance grow into friendship.....and perhaps love?Meanwhile, Adora, usually a football player, ends up playing guitar in the marching band pit after an injury. Will a cute mascot in a scorpion costume brighten up her autumn?
Relationships: Adora/Scorpia (She-Ra), Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 58





	1. August I

_I'm going to lose my mind._

"You know, we're,like, the only school in the country who does this, right? Further proof that it's dumb." Catra leaned back in her school bus seat.

"Well, regardless of whether or not you think it's dumb, _Catra_ , going to Lake Mannasequet is a Brightmoon Cheer Team tradition." Glimmer gritted her teeth as her rickety bus seat shook from the narrow country roads. It might have been a little unusual for them to actually go to a summer camp an hour away to practice for a week, but it was how they had always done things.

"OK, Sparkles." Catra examined her nails, which were painted a glossy black. "Don't get too upset with me, we do have to work together for the next five months."   
  
"Christ. Don't remind me." Glimmer groaned. They had been selected to be co-captains for the upcoming cheer season, which Glimmer was dreading. Glimmer was far from the most talented person on the team, but she made up for it by bringing 100% and having strong leadership skills. Meanwhile, Catra was incredibly skilled at tumbling and stunts., but it was still a mystery to anyone why she was selected for the position of co-captain. 

Glimmer glanced down at her phone, which had lit up with a text from Bow. _r u at camp yet??_ Bow was a saxophone player for the marching band, which also came to camp every year. 

_nah ride is taking foreverrr._ Glimmer wrote back. 

"Aw, writing to your bestie? You two are so sickeningly sweet."   
  
_Does she have to watch everything I do? "_ Just because you don't understand friendship doesn't mean that you have to mock it."   
  
"I have friends! Scorpia is my friend!" Catra responded, gesturing to the tall girl in the seat next to her, who had headphones on and was intently playing Pokemon on her Switch. While Scorpia wasn't technically a cheerleader - she was the school's mascot - she still came to camp every year to help train the new flyers. "Adora is my friend! Look, she's calling me right now." Catra waved her phone in Glimmer's face. Of course, Glimmer's other best friend was also best friends with Catra. 

"Wait, is she actually calling you-Hi Adora!" Glimmer called into the phone as Catra answered it. "Is your leg feeling any better?" Adora was a football player at their high school, but had badly injured her leg while training earlier in the summer. 

"Hey, how's the sprain going?" Catra asked at the same time. 

"Oh, hey guys! Honestly, the doctor said I probably shouldn't play football this season. But it's okay! I'm not sad or anything. I've been brushing up on my guitar skills, and uhm.....hey, my connection is pretty bad here, so I'll call you guys back later!" Adora hung up the phone.

"Wait, was she like in a car or something?" Catra commented. "Anyways, it looks like we're almost there. Lake Minneasquet, home of the gnats." Catra started to cover herself in a cloud of bug spray, making Glimmer cough. 

"Can't you wait till we get off the bus to do that?" Glimmer grabbed her clipboard as she climbed down from the bus, waiting for the other cheerleaders to gather around her. "OK, everyone! We're going to take an hour to go put our stuff in our cabins and then we'll meet at the main field to start going over drills." As the group started to disperse, Glimmer noticed another bus pull up, and Bow start to disembark. 

"Hey, Bow!" She gave her friend a tight hug.

"Hey, Glim, I have a huge surprise for you....." Bow turned towards the bus. 

"Adora???" Glimmer and Catra's jaws dropped open at the same time as Adora walked off the bus in her crutches. "What are you doing here?" 

"Well, I was feeling pretty down that I couldn't be involved in any fall sports, but Bow talked me into playing guitar in the marching band's pit! I can sit while I play." Adora explained. 

"That's pretty neat! I'm impressed." Catra swung her bag onto her shoulder. "Let's go Glitter, we wouldn't want to miss our luxury accommodations." 

"It's Glimmer."   
  
"Oh, I know." 

_This is gonna be a long week._


	2. August II

_The Next Day_

"Alright, everyone!" The morning sun shone in the cheerleaders faces as Glimmer clapped her hands together. "It's time for conditioning! Let's start with a fifteen minute jog and then do some lunges and squats!" She started to lead the team in a jog around the track. The objective was endurance, not speed. She started to jog next to Catra, who was effortlessly striding along the track.

"How did everything go yesterday?" Glimmer asked. Yesterday, Catra had been teaching everyone the basics of walkovers and round-offs. 

"Not gonna lie, it was pretty rough,but it's to be expected. We have a lot of new people this year." Catra said matter-of-factly.

"Right. A lot of people left after everything that happened......whatever, it's fine." Glimmer tried to brush the events of last year behind her. "We can adapt the routines we originally planned if we have to." 

"Do you wanna work on alternate routines that we can do during lunch?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." It was weird just talking to Catra normally, without the bickering that they normally did. Maybe Catra was actually pretty average behind the whole teasing facade. 

"Alright, then see you on the other side, slowpoke." Catra started to speed up. 

"Catra, that's not the point of jog-......" Catra was already far in front of her. ".....never mind." 

_Geez._

\-------------------------

 _OK, so that's how you do that chord....._ Adora made a note in her sheet music. Everyone else in the marching band was still practicing, but she was sitting on the porch of her cabin, icing her sprained leg. The pit was busy doing stuff with the drumline, and she was the only guitarist, so no one really cared where she was, as long as she was practicing guitar. 

_Not that anyone aside from Bow really talks to me anyways. Because I'm still a new person, and even the freshman seem pretty tight knit already...._

_Maybe doing this was a mistake._

"Oh, I didn't realize anyone else was here!" Adora turned towards a voice from inside the cabin, noticing a girl with short ice-blond hair who was also clutching an ice pack. "You're the guitarist for the marching band, and you're....Adora, right?"   
  
"Yep...that's me." _Shit,I have no idea what this girl's name is , even though we've definitely hung out in a group before...._ "You're Catra's friend, right? From the cheerleading team?" 

"Well, I guess I'm like an associate member? I'm actually the school mascot, but I come to cheer camp and help out, since mascot camp already came and went. I'm Scorpia, by the way. "   
  
"Wait, mascot camp is like...a thing?" 

"Yeah, it's a bit of a drive, but it's like a bunch of people from different high schools and colleges...it's pretty fun! I guess it's pretty weird to be so into it, but it's a fun hobby!" Scorpia smiled brightly.  
  
"I don't think it's weird-it's cool when people kinda march to the beat of their own drum."  
  


_She's really pretty when she smiles._

\--------------------------

_The Last Night of Camp_

_Maybe now I can finally get some alone time with Catra....._ Scorpia thought to herself as she smoothed out the dress she was wearing, checking her hair in the cabin mirror. It was the last night of camp, and the cheerleading team and marching band had thrown together an impromptu dance. 

As Scorpia arrived at the dance, she spotted Catra just as the first notes of a slow dance was starting.   
  
"Hey Catra, I was wondering if maybe....uh....if you wanted to...." 

"Catra!" Glimmer was practically out of breath as she had ran up the hill from the bathrooms. "Kelsey just found out her boyfriend was cheating on her and she's having a meltdown in the bathroom and she's been crying for twenty minutes and I need your help."   
  
"Aw, shit. I'll come help you take care of it. See you later, Scorpia."

"Oh....bye!" _Well,maybe she would have said yes otherwise....I guess I'll never know._ Scorpia sighed as she sat down at a picnic table. Normally, Scorpia was not a jealous person, but it still sucked to see all the couples slow dancing with each other, when she hadn't even had her first kiss yet. 

"Uhm....Scorpia..." Adora hobbled over with her foot still in the cast. "Do you wanna play pool with me and my friends?" She gestured towards a pool table that they had set up. 

"Sure, but I don't really know how to play..." 

"So, hold the pool cue like this,ok?" Adora gave a brief demonstration, effortlessly knocking a ball into the pocket of the table. "Now, you try!" 

"Here, like this?" Scorpia asked. She had never been the best at fine motor skills. 

"No, it's more like.....here." Adora put her hand on top of Scorpia's to guide her, and Scorpia noticed the other girl's face start to heat up. "T-there, you've got it!" Her hand guided Scorpia's to gently hit the ball with the cue. 

_This is actually pretty fun....maybe tonight won't be such a wash after all._

_\---------------------------------_

Catra just wanted this night to be _over._

"So I know it sucks that your boyfriend cheated on you with your best friend,but like, you'll get over it." She awkwardly patted the crying sophomore girl on the back while she sat in the bathroom with her. "Sophomore year is a hard time for almost everyone...hell, I almost failed outta chemistry class...." _God, I'm really terrible at interpersonal stuff, aren't I?_

"Hey, Kelsey? I stole some chocolate from the dining hall...." Glimmer came into the bathroom and offered some to the tear-stained girl, who quickly took it. "Chocolate always makes me feel better!"   
  
"Just....how did you guys get over breakups?" Kelsey asked them. 

"Well, uh....." The two girls awkwardly stammered. "I-I've never been in a real relationship before...." 

_Well, I guess it's less embarrassing if she also admits it...._ Catra thought to herself. 

Only after Kelsey felt better did she and Glimmer finally start to walk back to the dance. 

"Sorry I couldn't be more help. I'm honestly pretty bad at relationship stuff....friend stuff....all of it. Bow was my only real friend before I met Adora." Glimmer admitted.   
  
"Really? You seem pretty good with the leadership aspect of cheerleading." Catra was honestly a bit surprised.   
  
"Aww, really?"  
  
"Stop or I take it back." Catra scratched the back of her neck. "I honestly didn't have any real friends other than Adora until I met Scorpia and Entrapta." 

"So we're bad at social skills together!" Glimmer seemed way too excited about their shared lack of friends.

"You don't have to say it like that...." Catra rolled her eyes.


	3. September I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> updating because my college got shut down due to coronavirus lmao

_First game next Friday!!_ Glimmer wrote into her planner with her bright pink pen. It was the first day of the new school year, but what she was most excited for was the chance to get back on the field. She had also color coordinated all her notebooks for her class schedule, including the class she was currently in, AP Biology. 

"Is this seat taken?" She heard Catra's voice from next to her. "What, surprised that we're in the same class?" 

"Sorry, I just thought you would skip class to go smoke behind the bleachers or something." Glimmer blurted out.

"Geez, just because I think rules are dumb doesn't mean I don't do well in school." Catra rolled her eyes, searching her backpack for a pen and some paper. "Can I borrow a pen?" 

"Mhm." Glimmer handed her a glitter-purple pen, which Catra accepted with some disdain. "Hey, beggars can't be choosers." She commented as class started, and the teacher started immediately talking about mitosis and meiosis and lab procedures. 

"Do you wanna be lab partners?" Glimmer leaned over. "You're the only person here that I really know." 

"Sure, but you have to write everything down in a somewhat normal color."   
  
"Deal." 

\------------------------------------

 _Today is really not my day._ Adora struggled to hold onto her books and open a door with one of her crutches. _How can all my classes literally be at other sides of the building?_ Seeing all the senior football players' decorated lockers only made it worse. 

_And none of my friends are in my lunch period.....maybe there's an empty classroom I could eat in?_ She hobbled down the hallway, looking for an unlocked room, and found the art room was open, a few canvases used to wedge the door open. 

"Hey, is it okay if I eat here....oh, hey, Entrapta! And Scorpia, you're here too!" 

"We've been eating in the art room since September 8th, 12 noon, of our sophomore year!" Entrapta explained cheerfully. "Catra usually eats with us too, but she had a different lunch period this year."

"Yeah, I've always had a class or two here and the teacher's been cool with it. Here, let me just set up a chair for you..." Scorpia took a chair from a carefully-stacked pyramid at the back wall. 

"Cool, thanks so much." Adora practically collapsed into the chair. "I love your lunch by the way, it looks delicious." 

"Aww, thanks!" Scorpia smiled. "It's nothing super fancy, just a salad, some hardboiled eggs, and shaped mini hot dogs! I could even make one for you, if you wanted!" 

"That would be really awesome." _Wait, is she flirting with me? And she's really cute too..._ Adora had never dated anyone before, so she had no idea how to react. The three of them fell into an awkward silence as Adora picked at her sandwich. "So! Entrapta, are you doing any fall activities?" 

"No, robotics doesn't start till January." Entrapta shrugged. "But that doesn't mean I'm not prepared!" She reached inside her backpack and starting spreading blueprints around. "For example, I'm hoping I could use a new end effector to increase the payload by utilizing...." 

\--------------------------------------

"Okay, so can you tell me why the cheerleaders are sitting in circles chanting?" Catra walked into practice fifteen minutes late, her bag casually slung over her shoulder. 

"They're writing cheers to use at games!" Glimmer explained. 

"Geez, can't we just use the ones from last year?" Catra took a sip of her iced coffee. "We really don't have time to do stuff like this if we want to get good." 

"Well, this way, everyone feels included." Glimmer picked up a pen and paper. "We can write some together if you want!" 

"Nah, I'd rather focus on our strategy for the opening home game." Catra took a pen to start writing on the paper. "For starters, I want to do some pike jumps and back handsprings. If everyone else is ready, maybe we could even do a prep stand. The other team won't know what hit them." 

"You really think you can do all that?" Glimmer sat down on the bleachers. "Never mind, I know you can do it, and that's why you're so confident." Even though she and Catra clashed at times, she still really admired Catra's talent.

"Well, when you say it like that, I almost feel flattered, Sparkles." Catra scratched the back of her neck. 

"Why did you end up joining the cheer team anyways? You could probably be on a more competitive team if you wanted." _And you don't exactly seem like the type to be cheerleader._ Glimmer thought quietly to herself.

"I was on competitive gymnastics team, and I hated every second of it." Catra explained. "I barely had time to do anything else, and some of the people could be super mean to anyone they considered a threat. So, comparing the two...." She glanced around the gym. "....I guess this is pretty okay. Maybe you do know what you're doing. Sometimes." 


End file.
